Eyes The Color of Pickled Frogs
by scandalous muffins
Summary: LxJ. "You’ve got red hair and freckles and eyes the color of pickled frogs! I don’t even know why I bother to give you the time of day, sometimes." “Well, Potter, I won’t waste my time talking to you ever again."


**Author's Note:**So, I finally have some time on my hands to write something. This is mostly due to the fact that both my internet AND my cable are down right now, so I can't watch Ninja Warrior (it's a marathon!!) or read. But I've had a few ideas recently so let's see how fast I can type and how late I can stay up… and how long my attention span lasts. However, I just drank a frappuccino… usually, caffeine makes me mega-hyper, but when I have something to focus on, it helps me. Soooo… here goes nothing. Enjoy, my minions… that is, if anyone is bothering to read this which is unlikely. But still, it's nice to think that someone somewhere in the world has stumbled across MY story.

Oh, I'd better just add a disclaimer _just in case! _…

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing besides the giant Hershey bar that I'm currently consuming. Yay for chocolate!

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**Eyes The Color of Pickled Frogs**

"You're such a - an _insufferable_ toe-rag!" Lily Evans screamed at James Potter in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room. Everyone was used to their constant bickering, of course, but during this year, their seventh and last, they had gotten on much better. There hadn't been any full-out arguments like this. It had even seemed that Lily and James had become friends, a term you never would have called them before. They had called each other by their proper first names and had even begun to eat meals together. So it was because of this that a fairly large crowd had gathered around them, awaiting the outcome.

"Yeah, well, you think _you're_ any better? You're always yelling at people, telling them how to do things! You think you're sooo perfect, _Evans._ Well, you're not. You know, Evans, I have no idea how I _ever_ had a crush on you. I mean, look at you! You've got red hair and freckles and eyes the color of pickled frogs! I don't even know why I bother to give you the time of day, sometimes." Had James been noticing, he would have seen Lily's face crumple as he first referred to her as 'Evans' and then went on to insult her. However, James was not paying attention to this, instead focusing on spewing out the first words he thought of. Coincidentally, these words happened to be downright lies, as he thought her hair was luscious, her eyes gorgeously emerald-colored, and still harbored a major crush on her.

Lily quickly composed her face and glared at James. She took a predatory step towards him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Well, _Potter_, if that's the way you feel, then I won't waste my time talking to you ever again." She turned and stalked upstairs to her dorm.

James glanced around the room, looking at the shocked faces. Suddenly, he realized what a complete bastard he had just been… to _Lily Evans._ Merlin, he had been even more pricky in those last ten minutes that he had in all previous six years of Hogwarts combined. In fact, he realized, it was his fault for the argument in the first place. It had just been Remus' "time of month" last night, and James had had a rough time. He had taken out his rage by hexing Severus Snape. Lily, of course, had seen him and reprimanded him… hell, she hadn't even been tough on him, just merely saying, "James, I'm sorry but I'm afraid I'm going to have to take away five points from Gryffindor for that." And he had exploded on her. She had stonily walked away from him to the common room, and he had followed, yelling at her the whole way. Finally, in the center of the common room, she had turned to him.

_"James, I don't know _what _your problem is, but please don't take it out on me! I didn't even give you a detention and I should have! Look, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here, but sometimes you make it really hard for me to be your friend."_

_"Maybe _you're _my problem, Lily."_

_"And what is THAT supposed to mean?"_

_"Oh, don't act as if you don't know! Why can't you just see that I'm upset?"_

_"I DID see that you're upset, James. Maybe you didn't notice, but I only took away five points! I could have easily taken away fifteen. At least say THANK YOU, you __git__!"_

_"Say thanks for what? __For ending my fun?__For helping old __Snivelly__ You always help him! WHY? What has he ever done for you? Nothing! Nothing besides call you horrible names, that is. He doesn't deserve your help, Lily. And I don't need your 'benefit of the doubt.' And I certainly don't __need or even WANT__ your friendship." James didn't know why he had said that he didn't want her frien__d__ship. He didn't mean that. Of course he wanted that. He wanted MORE than her friendship._

_"You such a – an _insufferable _toe-rag!"_

"Bugger." James said aloud as he thought about what had just happened. The crowd had mostly dispersed by now. The few people that still stood near him looked at him quizzically as he cursed. "Lily!" He called up the staircase, knowing that he couldn't walk up the stairs. "LILY! Please come back! LILY! I'm sorry!"

James didn't really except her to come back down, so when she didn't, he wasn't surprised. He sighed heavily and sat down in an armchair facing the girls' staircase. He supposed he would just wait for her to come down. She had to come down eventually, didn't she? Dinner was soon.

Dinnertime came and went, with no Lily. James hadn't left the chair once, not even to eat. Sirius and Peter had checked on him, for they had, of course, heard about the argument even though they had been in the kitchens at the time it happened. When James still wouldn't budge when it was time to sleep, they shrugged and went to the dorm, figuring that James would come up when he was tired enough. However, James didn't plan on it. He fully intended to wait for Lily. She would get hungry eventually, wouldn't she? He was certain that she knew how to get to the kitchens, and figured that she would try to go there for a snack once she was hungry enough. Even if she didn't, he reasoned, she woke up quite early. He was fairly sure he could pull an all-nighter if need be.

But James was wrong. Around 1:30, when Lily _still _hadn't shown up, James drifted off to sleep.

Lily was up in her dorm, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't help but replay what had happened over and over. Why had he been like that? Lily was shocked. She had thought that James _liked _having her as a friend. They certainly had gotten on well enough, or so she'd thought. Lily glanced at her clock. It was 2:23.

Lily sighed. She hadn't been able to sleep at all. Of course, her friends had seen the argument. Alice and Marlene had tried to get her to eat dinner with them, but Lily had politely refused. Both Alice and Marlene had completely understood and left her be. After all, Lily and James hadn't been in such an argument all year. They had _never_ been in an argument in which James had insulted Lily like that. They had been kind enough to bring her back a roll, but Lily hadn't been able to eat it and Marlene ended up tearing into it.

Lily's stomach gave an involuntary grumble. _Well, _she reasoned, _James is certainly gone by now. _Alice had told her of James' stake-out in the armchair. Lily figured that it would be safe enough by now to venture out to the kitchens for some food.

She crept down the stairs, and was shocked to see James sitting in the chair. She froze, until she heard him lightly snoring. He was fast asleep. She walked over to him, silently, curiously. Lily couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. She hadn't admitted it to her friends, but she had been harboring a small crush on James. Ever since they had called a truce at the beginning of the year, they had bonded quite well. He knew how to make her smile, his jokes made her laugh. She could be in the worst of moods, and all it took was a grin from him to make her happy. She had helped him with his Charms, and he had helped her with her Transfiguration. They worked well together as Heads. For the most part, James had stopped being so arrogant and pig-headed. And Lily had stopped being so snobbish and stuck-up to him and his friends. Lily had thought that they had gotten on smashingly.

But apparently, she was totally wrong. She teared up as she looked at his face and remembered what he had said to her. _You've got red hair and freckles._ James didn't have red hair. His, in fact, was coal black and looked so soft. He, however, did have a small spattering of freckles. Lily leaned in, studying his slightly long nose. There was a small sprinkling of light freckles across the nose and under his eyes, undoubtedly from being outside to play Quidditch. _Your eyes are the color of picked frogs! _Although his eyes were closed and framed by his round glasses, Lily knew that they were hazel, a beautiful combination of green, brown, and gold, framed by long brown lashes. _I don't even know why I bother to give you the time of day, sometimes._ That was what had hurt Lily the most.

But for some reason, she couldn't stop herself as she reached up to take off his glasses. She placed them on the small table next to the armchair. She couldn't stop herself as she brushed the bangs off of his forehead. She couldn't stop herself as her fingers lightly traced his jaw line. Finally, she tore herself away from him and turned to go to the kitchens.

_"Lily."_

She froze, sure that he had woken up. But when she slowly turned around, he was still asleep. He was talking about her in his sleep… he was _dreaming_ about her. She walked back to him, and knelt down on the floor, her hand on his knee, so that she was almost at his eye level, looking up at him ever so slightly. "James?" She whispered tentatively.

He slept on. But he responded to her voice. "Lily. I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry? Why? Don't be sorry for being honest." At this, Lily started to cry. She tried not to, oh, she really did. But she couldn't help it. She had thought that James liked her. She had thought that he might ask her out, and she _knew_ that she would've said yes. But, no. He didn't even want to be her _friend_ much less her _boyfriend_.

James's eyes cracked open. When he saw Lily kneeling before him, crying, he sat upright. "Lily?" He questioned.

She looked up at him, wide-eyed. "You're awake." She stammered, standing up quickly and turning to leave.

"I'm so sorry." James said, standing up and striding to her. He grabbed her arm, effectively stopping her getaway.

"For what? You were just honest. I'm … I'll be fine." James turned her around to face him.

"No. I wasn't honest. I was the complete opposite of honest. I don't know why I said any of that. I really didn't mean it. Please, Lily, listen to me. I _want_ your friendship. Merlin, Lily, I want _more _than your friendship. Lily, I really like you, and I don't know why I said I never did. I always will. And I really don't think that your freckles are ugly. I think they're adorable, and I think your hair is beautiful and soft. And your eyes… bloody hell, Lily, you've got the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen! Don't ever believe that I could even _begin_ to think that your eyes look like pickled frogs!

"And listen, Lily, I know the whole bloody argument was my fault. I shouldn't have hexed Snape. You should have given me a detention. I should never have yelled at you. I should have thanked you. So, thank you, Lily. Please, _please_ forgive me."

Lily looked up at him. She had stopped crying. But she still had a look of disbelief on her face. "Do you really mean that?"

"Please don't question me. _Of course_ I mean that. I mean all of it. Lily, you're amazing. You're perfect." James cupped her face in his hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs.

Lily couldn't help but smile shyly up at him. "James? You said you wanted more than my friendship… does that mean… well, does that mean that you fancy me?"

James turned bright red, but didn't let go of her face, or back down. "Err, well… yes. I really fancy you, Lily Evans."

"Well. I guess that's good. 'Cause I really fancy you, too, James Potter." Lily broke out into a full grin, and covered his hands with her own.

James grinned back, and leaned down towards her. Lily could feel his hot breath on her lips and leaned forward herself until their noses brushed. She closed her eyes.

"Hey, Lily?" James whispered.

"Yeah, James?"

"Go out with me?"

"Of course, James. Now, James?"

"Yeah, Lily?"

"Just kiss me."

"Okay, Lily."

And with that, James Potter leaned down and shared his first kiss with Lily Evans.

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**Okay, so what'd ya think??** I'll love you forever if you review and give me tips. Actually, I won't just love you forever, I'll also share my Hershey bar with you!


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